EPL Transfer rumour: Pep Guardiola wants Leonardo Bonucci at Manchester City
Manchester City is plotting a winter transfer bid for Juventus and Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci, according to reports in Italy and England. Newly appointed City boss Pep Guardiola is a long admirer of the Juventus star. After the recent injury problems of Belgian defender Vincent Kompany, Guardiola is currently facing a selection problem for his defensive line up and the Catalan wants to lure Bonucci away from Turin to solve the crisis.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss tried to bring him to the Etihad in the summer. However, the progress of Vincent Kompany’s injury and the £50million price tag of the Italian defender put the Manchester giants’ interest in a halt.
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Reportedly, City is still interested in the 29-year-old and preparing to move for him in the January transfer window. Premier League rivals Chelsea were also linked with a move for the defender this summer. However, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's a long history with the Italian defender could not help Chelsea bring the defender to Stamford Bridge.
The Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany’s recent comeback lasted for only one game after he was injured against Swansea City. And the return date for the Belgian seems to be unknown.
City were unable to put a statement in front of the media and the Belgian manager Roberto Martinez is also waiting for an update over the Belgian star defender as he looks forward to announcing the Belgian squad for the forthcoming internationals next month.
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Manchester City have brought English defender John Stones to the Etihad to solve the centre-back problems this summer. With Elaquim Mangala loaned out, Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones and Aleksandar Kolarov has so far been the other solutions to the Catalan’s defensive worries.
However, the Spaniard seems to on the lookout for a more permanent solution rather than makeshift central defenders. And they might turn to the Serie A giants in a bid resolve their situation.
Bonucci has carved his name in recent years as one of the finest central defenders in the modern game. The Italian international joined Juventus from Bari in 2010 and has gone on to become one of the fan favourites in Turin, winning the Serie A title in each of the last 5 seasons with Juventus.